NRL 2020: New Zealand Warriors ultimatum as players threaten to leave Australia
The Warriors have sacrificed more than any team in rugby league, but eight weeks after saying farewell to New Zealand homesick Warriors have given the NRL a deadline to bring their families to Australia.
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The Warriors have given the NRL two weeks to bring the families of homesick players to Australia — and Peter V‘landys is pulling out all stops to avoid a potential revolt.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the ARL commission chairman has contacted Australian home affairs minister Peter Dutton to help expedite a plan to create a trans-Tasman travel bubble that would alleviate Warriors players from aborting the 2020 competition.
Eight weeks after saying farewell to family in New Zealand, Warriors players David Fusitua, Ken Maumalo and Agnatius Paasi have informed CEO Cameron George they want to return home immediately for personal reasons.
However, after emergency talks yesterday, the trio are prepared to wait until after the Warriors Round-10 clash with Cronulla to see if the NRL can execute a travel plan which would allow their family members including wives and partners to arrive in Australia.
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A phone hook-up with senior Warriors players, coaching staff and management was held yesterday with V‘Landys and acting NRL CEO Andrew Abdo vowing to do everything possible to support the club that has sacrificed more than any other, to keep the competition going.
“Obviously there are a few players who for personal circumstances want to be reunited with their families and we‘re trying everything we can to make that happen,’’ Abdo said.
“They (Warriors players) are committed to staying-on for the next couple of weeks as they monitor the situation.
“We‘ll do everything we can to support them.
“We wanted to give them assurances and updates about our conversation with government and we also spoke to them about timelines and how hopefully the trans-Tasman bubble may open up between
“Our chairman has been terrific in talking with border force patrol on trying to see if we can get an exemption for families for reunification purposes.‘’
The NRL has vowed to maintain regular communication and updates with the team.
Not every Warriors player feels the same level of anxiety that exists from being disconnected with between the families of six to eight players, including Adam Blair, Gerard Beale, Tohu Harris and Blake Green, being able to welcome their families into camp for differing reasons.
But George said there was no way of hiding the next two weeks were critical for the entire Warriors club.
“Without a shadow of a doubt, I understand the process that we have to go through, but it has become very challenging for a couple of players and for no reason other being separated from their families,‘’ George said.
“They all left on the assumption that their families would be following soon after and for whatever reason that hasn‘t happened.
“Our players raised that concern to me during the week and that‘s why we had the call today.
“Whichever way you look at it, its either families come - or potentially these guys will decide to go home on their own compassionate grounds.
“There‘s no in-between and that’s probably a good thing for everyone because we know where we all stand.
“Nothing in the world is ideal at the moment, we‘ve just got to take it day by day, week by week.’’